US drone strike kills 8 in northwest Pakistan

Peshawar/Islamabad: A US drone strike targeting a seminary in Hangu district's Tal area in northwest Pakistan on Thursday killed at least eight persons and injured five others, in a rare attack outside the country's tribal areas.

The drone fired three missiles at about 5 AM, targeting the seminary near Degree college in Tal, which lies within the settled areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The attack comes a day after the Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz told the Senate body that the US had assured Pakistan of not conducting drone strikes during the government's talk with the Taliban.

Thursday’s attack was also first since the one that killed Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud on November 1.

Those wounded in the attack included students of the seminary whereas the identities of the deceased could not be ascertained.Media reports said the clerics of the seminary were believed to be affiliates of the Taliban's Haqqani Network. The strike could increase tension between Islamabad and Washington.

US had earlier come under vicious criticism by Pakistani politicians and media for allegedly "sabotaging" the peace talks with the Taliban.

Aziz had told the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday that US was informed that drone strike against Hakimullah Mehsud has disrupted negotiations with the Taliban, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

He said Washington has given assurance that militants holding talks will not be targeted.

Aziz did not inform how it will be determined that Taliban were holding talks and how the US will be updated about the status of negotiations.